Former WWE champ's death provides ammunition for McMahon foes

By Neil Vigdor, Staff Writer

Published
10:32 pm EST, Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The recent death of a former World Wrestling Entertainment champion with a history of substance abuse of an apparent heart attack at the age of 36 has Senate hopeful Linda McMahon fighting a different kind of bout.

And a piledriver or sleeper hold won't get the former WWE CEO-turned-Republican contender from Greenwich out of this ring.

McMahon's critics say that Friday's death of Eki "Eddie" Fatu, a two-time Intercontinental Champion commonly known as "Umaga" and the cousin of actor/wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is a further indictment of WWE's lax drug policy and general disregard for the welfare of its entertainers, a number of whom have gone down similar paths of self-destruction.

"The sheer number of deaths raises serious questions about whether or not Linda McMahon, as CEO, has done all she can to stop them," said Jim Barnett, campaign manager for former Rep. Rob Simmons, who has developed an intense rivalry with McMahon to represent the GOP in next year's Senate race against Christopher Dodd. "I think most CEOs, if they saw their employees and former employees dropping dead in their 30s and 40s at this astonishing rate would be compelled morally and ethically, if not legally, to get to the bottom of it."

A spokesman for McMahon, who is married to wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, defended the substance abuse policy put in place by WWE.

"Rob Simmons, just like Chris Dodd, is a Washington insider who has never created a single job and is trying to get elected in a year when people want outsiders who will shake up Washington and fix the economy," said Ed Patru of the McMahon campaign. "He's in full-blown attack mode. The reality is that, as CEO, Linda put in place a comprehensive wellness program that includes a strictly enforced substance abuse policy."

In February 2007, WWE instituted a three-strikes substance abuse policy as part of a broader "talent wellness program" that mandates random drug testing, according to the Stamford-based company.

Performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids, humane growth hormone, stimulants and masking agents are all prohibited under the policy, as well as illegal drugs and unauthorized prescription medications.

The first time a wrestler tests positive for a banned substance, they face a 30-day suspension without pay. A 60-day suspension without pay follows for a second offense, though a repeat offender can be sent for substance abuse treatment by the physician at the independent lab used by WWE for testing. A third positive test results in termination.

A WWE spokesman said that Fatu was terminated in June after a second strike against him.

"We asked him to go into rehab and he refused to do so and his contract was terminated," said Robert Zimmerman of WWE.

Zimmerman said he couldn't disclose what Fatu had tested positive for.

Fatu received his first strike back in 2007, when he was linked to a steroid ring that received performance-enhancing drugs from an online pharmacy, according to Zimmerman.

A message seeking comment from the family of Fatu, who came from a long line of Samoan-American wrestlers and was known for a trademark tattoo on his face, was left with his business partner. His last known wrestling gig was in Australia as part of Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania tour.

A message was also left with the publicist of Johnson, who is better known by his ring name, "The Rock."

Irvin Muchnick, who has written several books on the cultural of professional wrestling and maintains a blog on the topic, said McMahon bears some responsibility for the tragedy.

"I think she bears responsibility in the sense in that coal mine owners were responsible for the hazards coal miners faced in getting black lung and other illnesses," said Muchnick, who lives in Berkeley, Calif.

Muchnick cited the 2007 suicide of WWE star Chris Benoit and murder of his wife and son, as well as the 2005 heart failure of Eddie Guerrero Llanes as symbolic of what he said is a "cocktail of death" promoted by the wrestling industry.

"Wildman" Marc Mero, 49, a retired WWE wrestler who has struggled with substance abuse himself, said the numbers are staggering.

"I've wrestled against 28 people who are dead," Mero said. "You often question, if you don't care about your own, who are making millions and millions of dollars, what do you care about the people of Connecticut?"

McMahon's defenders disputed the number of dead WWE stars, saying that most of those cited by detractors wrestled with other organizations.

Mero said drug testing was a complete joke when he was at the WWE from 1996 to 1999, when the company was called the World Wrestling Federation.

"It was a test where you just go in the bathroom door and pee in a cup," Mero said. "No one watched me urinate in a cup."

Waxman said that the WWE policy allowed for an initial positive test before counting the three strikes, as well as therapeutic-use exemptions for wrestlers to take performance-enhancing drugs prescribed by a doctor.

Jerry McDevitt, a Pittsburgh lawyer who has served as outside counsel for WWE for 20 years, said when the policy was put in place, a baseline had to be established for future drug testing.

"When you are going to embark on a drug testing program, there's sort of a fair notice concept," McDevitt said.

Addressing therapeutic use exemptions, McDevitt said some wrestlers require testosterone replacement therapy for medical reasons under the supervision of a doctor, including to make up for past steroid abuse.

McDevitt said that both Linda and Vince McMahon were more than forthcoming with information during the congressional inquiry, which he said was pure grandstanding.

He also sought to make a distinction between wrestling and the professional sports leagues grilled by Congress over steroids.

"It's not a sport. It's entertainment," McDevitt said.

McDevitt had a parting shot for Simmons' campaign manager, Barnett, who he said was enlisting the help of all sorts of unsavory characters to slander McMahon.

"He's hanging around with people who are con-artists," McDevitt said.

-- Staff writer Neil Vigdor can be reached at neil.vigdor@scni.com or at 625-4436.

Today's Top Insider StoriesOur journalists provide in-depth analysis and reporting about the people, places and issues that matter most to you. Subscribers get access to all of their comprehensive coverage.Stories from Insider